Big Kid Adds (Week 17)

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

While the NFBC Main Event garners most of the attention, there are a handful of leagues with even larger entry fees ($2.5K to $15K). They are named Elite leagues (previously called High Stakes Leagues), and there are nine of them. With so much money on the line, these fantasy managers try to gain every advantage. Most of the time, these managers will be a week or two ahead of everyone else on their adds. Here are the players and some information on the ones added in five or more leagues.

Note: The waiver wire market over the last few weeks has been the worst I can remember. Five pitchers broke the threshold this week. If I did my normal five leagues, only two guys would be featured. After writing up the players, I felt like only two to three seemed like difference makers. The others were just the “best” of the rubish available on the waiver wire. The stagnant waiver wire has stagnated the standings, with teams running out the same guys every week. The lack of movement should change in the next couple of weeks with MLB’s trade deadline and a few stars (Ramirez, Acuna) expected to come off the IL.

Batters

Harry Ford (5): For teams needing help at catcher, Ford was an obvious target. The 23-year-old top prospect (114th overall) should share catching duties with Keibert Ruiz.

Before this season, Ford looked to be a well-rounded threat at the catcher position with power, speed, and batting average (16 HR, 7 SB, .283 AVG in AAA in 2025). That all disappeared this season with 4 HR, 0 SB, and a .223 AVG in 257 PA in AAA. In 13 major league plate appearances, he’s trying to break that narrative with 1 HR and 1 SB.

While he has a 39% K%, I’m not worried about it yet because he didn’t have strikeout issues in the minors and has a 71% Contact. Some team in every two-catcher league should be gambling on him.

Javier Sanoja (4): For a while, Sanoja looked to be a short-side platoon bat, but he’s started in 12 of the last 13 games, including seven against lefties. While being a solid batting average contributor (.275 AVG, 8% K%) at three positions (2B, 3B, OF), he doesn’t provide much else (3 HR and 5 SB in 263 PA).

Tim Tawa (4): Started in eight of the last nine games while struggling at the plate this season (.663 OPS, 4 HR, 2 SB in 116 PA). He went on a little hot streak around the All-Star Game with 3 HR in four games. Since the hot streak, he has one single in 13 PA.

He projects to be a 12 HR/8 SB with a .220 AVG over a full season. That’s not fantasy relevant.

Tommy White (4): The 23-year-old first baseman is riding a .438 BABIP to a .971 OPS after hitting .303/.353/.465 with 10 HR and 2 SB in AAA (346 PA). While he was known for hitting home runs in college (min 24 HR per season), he has not been as prolific in the pros with groundball rates over 50% (64% GB% in the majors).

With so many good first basemen this year, I’m not really interested in adding a batting average-only guy who will lose his job once Nick Kurtz returns from the IL.

Masataka Yoshida (4): The strong-side platoon bat (career .785 OPS vs RHP, .662 vs LHP) is scheduled to face all righties this week. While he should play every game, he hasn’t been much of a difference-maker with just 4 HR, 2 SB, and a .267 AVG. Barely a streamer.

Victor Mesa Jr. (4): Mesa has been on a hot streak over his last nine games with 5 HR (one of the inside-the-park variety) and 1.385 OPS. In the 27 games before that stretch, he had just 3 HR and a .590 OPS.

This recent stretch has been the best of his career, but it was achieved in a part-time role with eight starts in the last 14 games. After hitting a home run for three games in a role, he sat the next game.

The hope is that the hot streak will lead to more consistent playing time.

Starting Pitchers

Spencer Miles (4): Usage will always be an issue with Miles. He hasn’t thrown 5 IP yet this season. His talent is unique in that he fills up all three legs of the xFIP triangle (strikeouts, walks, groundballs), thereby ending up with the league’s 14th lowest xFIP (min 60 IP).

With the playing time and role unknown, Miles feels like someone who deep league managers will roll out and take the results.

Luinder Avila (4): Most likely added for his two starts against two weak opponents, the Giants and Tigers. On the season, Avila has struggled with a 4.86 ERA (4.62 xFIP, 4.61 bot ERA), 1.56 WHIP (5.0 BB/9), 49% GB%, and 8.1 K/9. The strikeouts and groundballs are solid base to build around, but the walks are unplayable.

Those who rostered him lucked out on Tuesday. He allowed 1 BB and 2 ER over 6 IP on top of 7 K and the win. While he didn’t walk many in this start, he’s showing no signs of a new and improved walk rate sticking. I’d like to see three starts of a Ball% under 38% (each of his previous four starts was over 40%) before feeling comfortable starting him.

One pitch mix change was that he leaned into his sinker (8% SwStr%, 66% GB%) 44% of the time, the second highest rate of the season. His four-seamer doesn’t miss as many bats (6% SwStr%) and doesn’t generate any weak contact.

Bryce Elder (4): Another two-start arm who got a win against the Padres in his first game. Elder has ridden that fine line of being a useful fantasy arm and a guy that destroys a team. In the seven starts leading up to his last one, he had an 8.47 ERA (4.68 xFIP), 1.76 WHIP, and 6.9 K/9. Besides his 4.06 ERA, every indicator points to a 4.50 to 5.00 ERA talent. Stream with caution.

Mitch Bratt (4): In 10 IP over three starts, Bratt is gunning for some symmetry with identical ERA and walk rates (BB/9) at 5.06. He did the same thing in AAA, with both being at 2.41. The 2.41 ERA (.242 BABIP) is misleading, with him having a 4.50 xFIP

The ~5.00 ERA is an improvement compared to our STUPH models and ERA estimators who think he’s a 6.00 ERA talent. There is nothing here to get excited over.

Relief Pitcher

Ryan Zeferjahn (5): After Kirby Yates blew a Save last Friday, Zeferjahn came in and got the Save on Sunday. Since the start of June, Zeferjahn has been solid with a 1.27 ERA (2.94 xFIP), 0.94 WHIP (5.5 K9), and 14.8 K/9. During that time, he dropped the use of his sinker (24% to 7%, 4% SwStr%) and slider (53% to 46%, 16% SwStr%) and leaned into his four-seamer (23% to 44%, 12% SwStr%).

I’m not sure he’s the closer, and there is a chance the Angels trade him, but he might be worth adding to see how the situation plays out.